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Author: Amal ait
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-02 01:29:32

Arsen.

Pain was a constant.

It pulsed through every nerve, seeping into my bones, a cruel reminder that I was still alive. My body felt like it had been through a meat grinder, and honestly, it probably had, over and over again. The cold floor beneath me was slick with something warm—blood, mine or someone else’s, I couldn’t tell but I was cold, too cold for my liking.

I fought to keep my eyes open, to stay conscious. But the weight of exhaustion and pain dragged at me, whispering for me to let go. To stop trying to reach for my son. History was cruel for repeating itself in such a comical way, however, this time I was the one on the receiving end. I was the one being tortured. I was the one that knives dug into their skin. I was the one that begged for their life.

My piece of shit of a father would have laughed at me. He would have scolded me for being a weakling. For not being strong enough to keep my son safe but what did he know about family? He made me kill at the ripe age of eig
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    Author’s POV.The house had quieted down into that soft, post-dinner lull—where even the shadows on the walls seemed to breathe slower. Distant murmurs echoed from the living room, where the others were watching some awful old mafia film Luca claimed was “a classic.” Someone was already asleep on the couch. Probably Renzo. He always passed out after too much pasta like some kind of carb-loaded bear who was getting ready to hibrenate.Aurelio wasn’t with them.He was in the hallway upstairs, sitting at the edge of his old bedroom—the one he hadn’t dared sleep in yet. Too many pieces of him still scattered like glass inside it. Too many ghosts watching from the corners.He stared at the room like it might bite him.The bed was made. The same comforter. Same shelves. Someone had even fixed the frame of the photo he’d apparently shattered during one of his more violent post-surgery episodes. A picture of the five of them—Sofia in the middle, arms folded, eyes rolling. Him grinning with an

  • Their Serenity (A Reverse Harem)   61

    Author's POV. The dining room buzzed with the strange, delicate noise of almost normal. Silverware clinked. Someone—probably Valentino—had already cracked a joke that made Sofia roll her eyes but smile anyway. The scent of roasted garlic and marinara filled the air like nostalgia on steroids. Aurelio sat at the long table—not at the head, but somewhere in the middle—flanked by people who were supposed to be his family. Despite their warmth, their laughter, the endless attempts to make him feel at home, he still felt like the odd man out. But he noticed things. Like how Nial grumbled at his overcooked chicken while quietly passing napkins like he was trying not to breathe too loud. Arsen sat at the far end, balancing Alexei on his lap, slicing soft bread one-handed while talking to Sofia, who had Jade snuggled against her side. They were so, in their element. In their nature. Then— “Uncle Liooo!” A high-pitched squeal cut through the hum of conversation. A tiny bolt of cur

  • Their Serenity (A Reverse Harem)   60

    Aurelio.The toy soldier hadn’t moved.It still sat like a goddamn sentinel on my nightstand. Plastic. Ugly. Important.I don’t know why I hadn’t thrown it out the window.Maybe because it felt like it belonged more than I did.Jade had curled up next to me earlier, warm and trusting like he didn’t know I was broken. And even after he left the room—pulled away by his father—I could still feel the ghost of his tiny arms around my waist. And that? That shook something loose inside me more than any punch ever could.-Later in the day.I was in another room, arms up against Nial as we circled each other. We were sparring. That was their fucked up version of making me remember, it wasn't conventional. Wasn't something in one's right mind would do but I was willing to try as long as it meant they wouldnt look at me in that empathetic way they all did. I was going to try to find me.Whoever that was.“Stop thinking.”Nial’s voice snapped like a whip. Cruel and unforgiving.He was circling

  • Their Serenity (A Reverse Harem)   59

    Aurelio.The name was just a sound. Letters. Noise.But the weight behind it? That wasn’t noise.That was pressure. Gravity. Like I’d been dropped into a life that expected me to perform, to remember, to be this person they were mourning like he was already dead.Aurelio Verticolli.Everyone in this room knew who he was.Except me.And the worst part?I felt like I was disappointing them just by existing.Sofia hadn’t let go of my hand. Her grip was gentle, but I could feel the tension in her fingertips—like she was holding onto hope with every fiber of her being, and the second she let go, she’d fall apart.That made my chest ache.Even if I couldn’t remember her.I studied her profile—soft lines drawn tight with exhaustion. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Weeks, maybe. Her eyes were red-rimmed but fierce. Protective. She was a fighter. I didn’t need memories to know that.Sofia Verticolli. My sister.“Why are you all still here?” I asked suddenly, voice rough, a little cra

  • Their Serenity (A Reverse Harem)   58

    Aurelio.The man on the other side of the glass had a smirk that felt like it belonged to someone I should know. Someone important. Someone close.But I didn’t know him.I didn’t know myself.I clenched my jaw, something burning in my chest—frustration, maybe. Anger. A gnawing sense of wrongness that had been there since I woke up.The name they kept calling me—Aurelio Verticolli—felt like a suit that didn’t fit. Too tight in some places, too loose in others.I should recognize it. I should recognize them.But when I searched my mind, it was just… nothing. blank.Like looking into a fogged-up mirror and knowing there was a reflection behind it, but never being able to see it clearly.The man at the window tilted his head, still watching me like he was waiting for something.“You ready to remember who the fuck you are?”The words scraped against something raw inside me.Was I?I didn’t answer.He smirked again, but there was something sharper behind it. “Don’t worry. We’ll remind you.”

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